Introduction

The International Commission for
the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is responsible for
the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in
the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. The organization
was established at a Conference of Plenipotentiaries,
which prepared and adopted the International Convention for
the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas [download the Basic Texts, including the Convention, 389Kb],
signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1966. After a ratification process, the Convention entered formally into force in 1969.

Through the
Convention, it is established that ICCAT is the only
fisheries organization that can undertake the range
of work required for the study and management of
tunas and tuna-like fishes in the Atlantic. Such
studies include research on biometry, ecology, and
oceanography, with a principal focus on the effects
of fishing on stock abundance. The Commission's work
requires the collection and analysis of statistical
information relative to current conditions and trends
of the fishery resources in the Convention area. The
Commission also undertakes work in the compilation
of data for other fish species that are caught during
tuna fishing ("bycatch", principally sharks)
in the Convention area, and which are not investigated
by another international fishery organization.